


An Unfortunate Phone Call

by Madam_Pigeon



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, I might make this a two shot at some point but who knows lmao, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:08:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23153788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madam_Pigeon/pseuds/Madam_Pigeon
Summary: While on leave in Tokyo, Henry receives a call from the 4077 bearing some bad news
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	An Unfortunate Phone Call

Henry loved going to Tokyo

Honestly, who wouldn’t? With the spa, the women, and food that didn’t come out of a box, it was easy to forget he was in a war. Although to be fair, that was kind of the point. It was a temporary abyss, a break from the hell hole he was unceremoniously thrown into. He’d have to go back eventually, but he had time. The 4077 was strong and in truth, everyone there does what they want to whether he wants them to or not. They’d be fine.

Henry leaned back into the soft blanket, glad to have a moment to himself. A year ago he would’ve appreciated the quality over quantity but after finding that military managed to have neither, he wasn’t too picky. He was about to fall asleep before the door opened, startling him a bit.

“Sir, you have a phone call, would you like to take it?” The receptionist stepped into the room.

He paused for a moment before standing up. There were only two people that would be calling, either his wife or the camp. He didn’t know which one concerned him more.

“Who is it? Its a bit late to be calling now”

She glanced down at a small note card. “The 4077 mash, that’s one’s yours, isn’t it?”

Henry’s frown deepened. Frank was in charge and he didn’t ask permission for anything. He doesn’t even ask when Henry was there. 

Why would they be calling?

“Yep, that’s it” He moved to the door hesitantly. “What do they need me for? Well, it’s not like I’m not important, you know. They couldn’t run without me, it just that they normally do”

“They didn’t say. Do you want to take the call?” She repeated herself.

“Yeah, yes, I do.”

They walked out of the room and to the end of the hallway, where the phone sat on the reception desk, laying off the line.

“Thank you for waiting, Here’s Colonel Blake,” she said a quick greeting, handed Henry the phone and turned on one heel, leaving him alone.  
“...Hello?” He said, expecting Frank’s self-righteous voice on the other end, complaining of some sort of misdemeanor.

“Hey Henry, uh, how’s it going?” a familiar voice spoke from the other end.

“Hawkeye? Well, hey! Things are good around here, you know how it is. What’s up? I mean, it’s great to hear from you, but did something happen? How are things over there?” He continued, confused but wouldn’t let himself be worried. Things were probably fine.

The line was quiet for a moment before Hawkeye continued. 

“Well, that why I called. Things are a bit...rough over here.” he let out a bitter sounding laugh. “When are they not?”

Henry tensed.

That’s why I called

So this wasn’t a friendly check-in. Listening closer, he noticed how Hawkeye sounded. Hesitant and solemn. It was unnerving, a new sound for the captain that didn’t quite fit. Something happened. Something bad.

“Hey, hey now, what’s going on? Is everybody okay?” 

Once again, the line went silent. Hawkeye was rarely silent. He always had some quip or comment to make, but it sounded as though he was at a loss for words.

Now, he decided, I can panic.

He was about to repeat himself, but Hawkeye cut him off, his voice low and quiet.

“There was a sniper around camp. He showed up around noon and they just…They wouldn’t leave. Eventually, we had wounded. Couldn’t hide from the war, I guess.” he laughed again, still sounding empty.   
Although, this time, Henry didn’t seem to notice.

A sniper, he thought. He tried to think of something to say but his mouth just couldn’t catch up to his thoughts. Shit.

Hawkeye had waited for some sort of response but realizing he wouldn’t get one, he reluctantly continued. 

“Where the copters usually land was being shot to hell, so we had to figure something out. Behind the OR there was a spot but we had to send the message to them so they’d know where to go!” He was talking faster, sounding as Henry felt. “We could contact them through your office but we were all in the OR and somebody had to go out there to make the call” 

He paused and took a deep breath.

“...and Radar said he’d do it”

Henry breathed in sharply, almost dropping the phone. 

“Henry, hey! Are you okay?” Hawkeye shouted.

He hastily readjusted the phone, “What happened?”

“You should sit down Henry, are you sure you-”

“What happened?” He insisted, cutting Hawkeye off.

He sounded like he was going to argue further, but seemed to change his mind.

“He said he’d run over there and send the message, maybe call a general and get them to close the shooting range.”

He coughed and his voice dropped to a low whisper, sounding shaky and uneven with the weight of what he was about to say.

“He just wasn’t fast enough”

They waited in sickening silence for a moment. Henry can’t think of a word to say, despite thousands of them flying through his head.

“Henry?” Hawkeye said carfully, “you there?”  
“...yeah”

Hawkeye began to say some sort of solace but seemed to be cut off by something. Henry couldn’t hear what was happening, although he wasn’t really trying to. 

God, his head hurt.

The phone made a shuffling noise, as though being grabbed, and a new, less welcomed voice rang through the line.

“Hello Colonel, I apologize for the intrusion, Peirce isn’t authorized to give these kinds of calls.” 

“Frank,” Henry said flatly, not bothering with a greeting.

“Unfortunately, Corporal O’riley was killed in action today, but he died serving his country! I’d be honored to sacrifice-” he was cut off by the sound of something slamming into him, the phone clattering to the floor. Frank yelped in pain and suprise.  
Even from the ground, Henry could hear Hawkeye seething at Frank.

“Shut the fuck up”

Loud, unintelligible arguing echoed from the phone but fell on deaf ears. After a moment, Henry set down the phone, ending the call and slowly lowered himself to the floor.

He didn’t move from the spot, staying close to the phone.

Waiting for them to tell him it was a mistake. That Radar was fine and it was just some joke. Waiting for him to call and tell him that he just fell or got lost and was alright. That things were fine.

No one called.

**Author's Note:**

> I pulled the Ol' switcharoo on yall.   
> I don't know what it is, I just love killing baby. It's my signature dish don't expect anything else from me for the next 5 years thank you.  
> This isn't my best work but I spent two weeks on it and wil post it wether I'm proud of it or not.  
> (also just wanna show that I'm still alive)


End file.
